Prosthetic denture stabilizer means



Nov. 20, 1956 E. LODl PROSTHETIC DENTURE STABILIZER MEANS Filed Nov. 24,1954 FIGZ FIG, 4

FIG3

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United I States Patent Ofi Fice r 2,770,881 PROSTHETIC DENTURESTABTLIZER MEANS Emilio Lodi, Bologna, Italy, assignor of one-half toPaul Giacobbe, Medford, Mass.

Application November 24, 1954, Serial No. 471,044 Claims (11. 32-4 Thisinvention relates to improved prosthetic dentures and, moreparticularly, to a prosthetic denture pair which may be held in themouth as a hinged denture unit to providefor desirable dentureseatingand stabilization.

As is well known to those skilled in the art of making upper and lowerdentures, much more difliculty is experienced in providing forsatisfactory seating of a lower denture as compared with an upperdenture. In all such denture pairs, it is the usual practice to form,insert and use the two elements of the denture pair as separate members.Because of the independence of such dentures, the relatively strongerseating and sealing efiect which is obtainablefrom an upper denture isof little help in holding the lower denture in place. As a result,seating and stabilization of the lower denture must be obtained entirelyfrom the fitting and surface area contact of the lower denture with thecorresponding mouth surfaces.

It is an object of the present invention to improve prosthetic denturesand to devise a prosthetic denture pair, the two component parts ofwhich are permanently hinged to'one another so that the upper denture,when in a properly seated position, cooperates with the lower denture toaid in holding the lower denture in better seated relationship in themouth. It is a further and related object of the invention to devise, inan integrated hinged denture pair of the type noted, means for enablingthe upper denture to resiliently urge the lower denture into a slightlyspaced-apart position to the end that a positive denture seating forceis lightly exerted and better adherence of the lower denture against asupporting mouth surface may be realized. Still anotherobject-of the.invention is to provide a self-stabilizing denture pair in whichmechanical stabilizing effects are developed to such a degree thatportions of respective inner denture surfaces occurring adjacent the gumareas of the mouth may be: materially reduced in size.

These. and other objects will be more fully understood and appreciatedfrom the following description ofa preferred embodiment of the inventionselected for purposes of illustration" and shown in the 'a ccoinp'anyir'ig drawings, inwhich 1 F ig. l is a fragmentary sideelevationalviewillustrating the denture pair 'of the invention "seatedagainst 'gum surfaces and particularly indicating the denture hingingmechanism of the invention in the position which this mechanism assumeswhen respective upper and lower dentures of the pair are in a closedposition;

Fig. 2 is another elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but showing theupper and lower dentures in an open position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is another plan view taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the denture hingingmechanism of the invention somewhat enlarged and indicating in thedotted lines an alternate position of adjustment of one of the dentureseating arms; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed plan view of the denture hinging mechanism showingpositions of adjustment into which the constituent parts of themechanism may be moved.

In accordance with the invention, I have discovered that a prostheticdenture pair having upper and lower dentures may be operativelyconnected together in a manner'so chosen that the seating of one dentureacts to stabilize the seating of the other denture and, in particular,the relatively tighter seating and stabilization which may be realizedwith an upper denture may be made use of to aid appreciably in holdingthe lower denture more firmly in place in the mouth.

In this connection, I have devised a denture pair having a specialdenture hinging mechanism which is'characterized especially by pairs ofdenture seating arms which resiliently oppose one another to the endthat both upper and lower dentures of the pair are more effectivelyseated and held in a properly stabilized position at all times when thedentures are being used.

I have further found that, by reason of the better seating thusaccomplished, I may desirably decrease the actual denture area incontact with the mouth and, in particular, at the palate region.

The structure shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to beillustrative of one preferred embodiment of the invention and, as notedtherein, includes a prosthetic denture pair consisting of an upperdenture 2 and a lower denture 4. The dentures are best shown in Figs. 1and 2 and have been illustrated therein as being supported against upperand lower gums 6 and 8, indicated fragmentarily, and it will beunderstood that each denture of the pair will be individually fitted togum contour as is customarily the practice with conventional separateddentures.

With my denture pair, I combine two denture hinging mechanisms which areadapted to be mounted at two opposite sides of the dentures, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. Numerals 10 and 12 refer to pivot frame pieces which aremounted on two opposite sides of the denture 4 and which consist offlat, elongated body portions. At the ends of each frame piece areprovided vertical bearings 14 and 16 which preferably are formed asintegral parts of the frame pieces and in these vertical bearings arepivotally received lower denture seating arms as 18. These seating arms,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are preferably embedded in the rear bodyportion of the denture 4 and they extend downwardly and then forwardlyto provide a positive leverage which is projected along the adjacent gumareas.

It will be apparent that, since the arms 18 are necessarily fixed in thedentures and pivoted in the bearings 14 and 16, the frame pieces .10 and12 may turn about a vertical axis and thus provide for a lateraladjustment. Arranged to cooperate with the laterally adjustable framepieces and lower denture. seating arms 18 are upper denture seating arms20 and 22. Each of these arms is resiliently supported on a pin 24carried in a pivoted yoke 26. In one convenient form, these arms mayconsist of a length of resilient wire having opposite ends thereofcoiled around the pin 24, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and an intermediateportion doubled upon itself to form the curved arm part.

The yoke piece 26 is pivotally supported on a pivot element 28, thelower end 26a of which is threaded into the frame 10, as best shown inFig. 5. By means of this arrangement, the two pairs of seating arms arepivoted about two spaced-apart vertical axes of turning and may, as aresult of this, be swung into a Wide range of positions of adjustment,such as for example, the position shown in Fig. 6 and denoted by thebroken line portions of circles noted therein.

It is intended that this double pivot action may provide for a lateralgrinding of the upper denture upon the Patented Nov. 20, .1956.

lower denture so as to closely simulate the grinding action of naturaldentures while, at the same time, permitting a freedom of movement foropening and closing the dentures in the usual manner in any desiredposition of ad justment.

The upper seating arms 20 and 22 are, as noted above, designed with acurved shape suitable for protruding into the upper denture in themanner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and, to facilitate the engagementof these seating arms with the denture, I have further provided openingsas 30 in the dentures in which are fitted tubular sleeves 32, as is bestshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

It will be seen that the arms 20 and 22 provide a leverage correspondinggenerally to that afforded by the arms 18, and the extremities of thearms 20 and 22 project well beyond the extremities of the arms 13. It ispointed out that, by means of the two sets of arms, one of which sets isresiliently engaged with denture surfaces, there is normally exerted alight force tending to move apart the dentures into the position shownin Fig. 2. With the mouth closed, the dentures normally assume aposition such as that shown in Fig. 1, and there will then be developeda positive pressure of light intensity which operates to provide for apositive seating of both dentures and especially the lower denture 4. Itis found that the greater stability normally occurring with the upperdenture can be utilized to materially benefit the stability of the lowerdenture, and this lower denture can be much more firmly located and heldin place than would otherwise be the case. The arrangement of thesecooperating seating arms upon a double pivot structure makes it possibleto maintain a light force in any position of grinding in which the twodentures may be used.

An important feature which derives from this improved seating of the twodentures is the elimination of considerable portions of denture materialto provide denture portions such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By removinga considerable part of the intermediate portion of a conventionaldenture, a more desirable structure is obtained and the objectionablefeatures of holding prosthetic denture surfaces in contact with thepalate area of the mouth is avoided.

From the description given above, it will be readily seen that I haveprovided an efiicient denture seating mechanism by means of which adenture pair may be held in hinged relationship such that it may beinserted in the mouth and used as a single integrated unit. Thestructure further affords a very high degree of stability and excellentseating by the pressure effects exerted and, in general, a moreadaptable and satisfactory denture assembly is produced.

While I have prescribed and claimed preferred forms of the invention, itshould be understood that I may desire to employ modifications withinthe scope of the appended claims.

1. A prosthetic denture pair including an upper denture, a lowerdenture, stabilizer means for securing the upper and lower dentures inhinged relationship, said stabilizer means comprising pairs of opposedhinged spring elements embedded in the dentures and constructed andarranged to normally force the dentures apart from one another.

2. A prosthetic denture pair including an upper denture, a lowerdenture, stabilizer means for securing the upper and lower dentures inhinged relationship, said stabilizer means including pivot framepieces,pairs of spring elements pivotally attached to the pivot framepieces andoperatively connected to the said dentures, and pairs of cooperatingpivot elements constructed and arranged to provide two spaced-apart axesof pivoting for the said spring elements.

3. A prosthetic denture pair including an upper denture a lower denture,and stabilizer means for securing the upper and lower dentures in hingedrelationship, said dentures being formed with recesses and the saidstabilizer means including opposed hinged spring elements extendingforwardly into said recesses to provide for improved denture seating.

4. A prosthetic denture pair including an upper denture, a lowerdenture, and stabilizer means for securing the upper and lower denturesin hinged relationship, said dentures being formed with recesses, thesaid means including pairs of opposed spring elements extending intosaid recesses and those recesses in one of the said dentures beingprovided with embedded sleeve elements in which the respective springelements are slidably supported.

5. An improved prosthetic denture pair comprising an upper denture, alower denture, means for connecting the upper and lower denture .inhinged relationship, said means including pivot frame pieces mounted onsaid lower denture at two opposite sides thereof, lower denture seatingarms pivotally supported in said frame pieces and located internally ofthe lower denture in a forwardly extending position, upper dentureseating arms pivotally secured to respective pivot frame pieces, saidupper denture seating arms extending forwardly and internally of theupper denture.

6. A structure as defined in claim 5 in which the upper denture seatingarms are. slidably received in the said upper denture.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6 in which the upper denture seatingarms are of curved shape.

8. A structure as defined in claim 7 in which each of the curved dentureseating arms are resiliently secured to their respective pivots.

9. A structure as defined in claim 5 in which the said upper dentureincludes. means for slidably receiving the respective denture seatingarms.

10. A structure as defined in claim 5 in which the upper denture isconstructed with curved tubular inserts embedded in the body of the saiddenture and constructed and arranged to. slidably receive the said upperdenture supporting arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,161,141 Lewis Nov. 23, 1915

